1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of wireless transmitters; and more specifically, to wireless transmitters integrated with fluid control valves.
2. Background
It is desirable to be able to create irrigation systems for large areas with minimal piping and wiring. This need may be met by systems in which irrigation devices such as sprinklers are controlled by hydraulic toggle valves that direct a fluid inlet to a first outlet that supplies attached irrigation devices and then redirects the fluid inlet to a second outlet that supplies a following toggle valve following a brief interruption of the fluid supply. Hydraulic toggle valves are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,182, 5,649,562, and 6,257,264, which are commonly owned with the present application. Such systems require no wiring between a system controller and the hydraulic toggle valves.
It would be desirable to use moisture sensors associated with each of the hydraulic toggle valves in such systems to avoid over watering, thus conserving water and improving the quality of the irrigation. It would also be desirable to avoid the need for wiring between the controller and the moisture sensors and the need for routine service such as battery replacement to provide power at the hydraulic toggle valves which may be dispersed over a wide area.